Autodesk Mechanical Desktop

[#1]

I have been using 2D CAD since 1992 & Mechanical Desktop for 10 years, that’s 20 years of *.dwg files. We still open and edit some of the old drawing files to create new tools & fixtures. We have Inventor 5 series but choose not to use it as it is not an efficient way of working.

Many of our customers, mostly in the Nuclear industry use AutoCAD 2D or LT. Approximately 20% use Inventor or another modelling package, usually we find ways of converting the files, but generally end up with surfaces using *.iges or basic parts with no parametric history using *.step.

My dilemma is if I upgrade my software I feel that I will be using my old software 90% of the time.

What do I do: Upgrade to Inventor Suite – or stay a dinosaur working efficiently with one system.

[#2]

Are you using MDT2009 -64 bit? The performance is unlimited and would be fast even the year of 2020 in my opinion. We are exporting all our drawing to .dwg from MDT and this is our final archive. We are then adding the partlist in 2d cad.

When we arguing about non connected drawings I ask: what time is it to open this plant with 50 000 parts in 2d mode. It take 5 sec in autocad.

[#3]

We have two seats of MDT6 AutoCAD 2002 32bit running in Windows XP – I have used Inventor 5 and tried Inventor 2010 on a 30 day trial: It’s very pretty to use “A bit like a crayoning package” OK it has its advantage with rendering and creating photo-like images, but I want engineering drawings.

A typical day in our office: I will be modelling a 3D press tool and 4 or 5 project engineers may request drawing modifications to files maybe 1, 2 or even 18 years old, I can quickly open any of them, modify & save them within MDT6 without changing the format. I have tried using Inventor to do this with success, but it is inefficient and creates spurious junk in the file. If I open the file back in AutoCAD I can purge the junk but a message says it has been created with incompatible software. I then have to open the file through Drawing Gateway (I could go on).

I know in the future I am forced to upgrade to Inventor, but it will create more problems than solve them.

[#4]

May I suggest that we all start a pettition to return MDT back.

No more improvements or messing about. Just leave it the way it is

but offer support and conversion to other  formats.

Gezard

[#5]

I agree whole heartedly. I know quite a few engineers who have been using MDT for a number of years, they all agree that it is the best versatile CAD package that allows the freedom to use the environment any way you like.

Inventor has some good features e.g. filleting in MDT you are stuck with what you have picked, but in Inventor you can add or remove them without deleting and having to re-pick.

I would love to see MDT brought back with some of these features added. “For the proper engineers”

[#6]

I don´t understand those who working in 3d in autocad. Ok MDT is not the sexiest but compare to using autocad......

Maybe we can hope that autocad include the same functions as in MDT some time in the future.

Fore me local parts and drawing in the same file is the main reason to stay in MDT, one file one machine + that it is .dwg

[#7]

I was refering to MDT 2009. I have used Acad from Versin 9 and MDT from the

beginning. The first 2 -3 versions were buggy - but now all my

mechanical drawing are MDT. Inventor may be a fine gadget for the

yong kids to play - but I am 66 and dont have the time.